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Atricle Dump - Is It Time To Kill Your Marketing Program?
We have all had an experience where you get bad service or a bad product. Let me tell you about my recent experience, and we'll have a look at what we can learn from it.My car had a problem. Broke down in fact, so it was a large problem. The clutch was not working. I got the car to my mechanic. This guy has been my mechanic for about six years. I had followed him through each of his business moves. He knew my car well, had always done a good job and had very reasonable rates.I could only say good things about this guy. I had no intention of changing my mechanic.So back to the car. The car is a European brand. Good cars, but no longer sold in A
Having said that, if you've given your marketing ample time to produce results and nothing's happening, odds are you missed the mark and either the message or the medium is off.
Is your message missing the boat?
If your message is off, it means you are not effectively speaking to your prospects or hitting their "hot buttons." Do you really understand their problem or challenge? And does your marketing speak clearly to that issue and position your product or service as the best solution?
Or are you missing your audience?
If the medium is off, it means you have put your marketing message in a place where your prospects aren't likely to see it. It's important to und
For retailers of all sizes, space is usually an issue at some point or another. But it’s especially critical for smaller retailers who typically have less space to begin with. It is an age old problem- you can’t grow your business if you don’t get more space. But you can’t afford the space if you don’t grow your business. So retailers need to find innovative ways to overcome the issue.Most of the time when retailers think they need more space, they really just need to make better use of their space. Slatwall panels are a good way to accomplish that. Slatwall panels give retailers the opportunity to turn ordinary wall space into a viable product display space e
If you've been in business for any length of time, you've no doubt been faced with the question, "Should I dump this marketing program or should I wait a little longer for it to start producing results?"
Even if you're new in business, you may have tried a new way to market your business and with lukewarm results found yourself wondering how long you should stick with it before giving up and trying something else.
It's the age-old question of "When is the right time to put a marketing program out to pasture?"
This reminds me of my advertising agency days. We'd create a new ad campaign and run it for awhile, and because we (and the client) were exposed to that campaign day-in and day-out, we'd all tire of it quickly.
Knowing when to hold and when to fold
Often, the client would want a new campaign and we'd have to remind them their prospects hadn't seen the campaign nearly as much as we all had, and that it was best to let the campaign keep running.
How do you know what to do?
Just how do you know when it's time to let an ad campaign or marketing program keep on running and when it's time to try something new?
The answer is very simple.
Look at your results
It's time to make a change when the marketing is no longer producing results. And by results I mean, it's no longer moving you toward your objective.
Are you achieving your objective?
Every marketing activity should have a specific objective — that is what you hope to achieve. Your objective may be to generate a certain number of phone calls, or web site hits, or even sales.
Tracking your results will tell you
You'll want to track the results of your marketing activities from day one, so you'll know how well they are producing and you can monitor their trends.
For example, you may get consistent results for weeks, months or even years. In this case, my motto is "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" Don't be tempted to make a change just because you're tired of it. If it's working, leave it be.
Are your results on the decline?
However, if your tracking shows you are steadily getting fewer and fewer responses (e.g. phone calls, web site visits, sales) it's probably time to freshen up that marketing or start anew.
Or, maybe your results never really materialized
And, if your marketing program has never really generated the response you are looking for, even if it's relatively young, it's also time to take a good hard look at reworking it to make it more effective.
Just be careful not to give up too soon
You do need to give your marketing time to work — most people will not act after seeing your message just once, but rather need to be exposed to it repeatedly before taking action (industry standard is between three and seven times).
Having said that, if you've given your marketing ample time to produce results and nothing's happening, odds are you missed the mark and either the message or the medium is off.
Is your message missing the boat?
If your message is off, it means you are not effectively speaking to your prospects or hitting their "hot buttons." Do you really understand their problem or challenge? And does your marketing speak clearly to that issue and position your product or service as the best solution?
Or are you missing your audience?
If the medium is off, it means you have put your marketing message in a place where your prospects aren't likely to see it. It's important to unde
In the rush to accomplish more, we often forget to appreciate our successes. Dark Chocolate offers a moment to revel in the lush flavor of rich decadent chocolate. In much the same way, each successful moment in our journey to achieve should offer a reprieve from hard work and effort.1. Take a Moment to plan your day.Early morning offers a prime opportunity to take a break, recognize your successes, and plan for your accomplishments. Cherish a morsel of success with your favorite hot drink, and motivate yourself with enthusiasm.2. Check your Future.Are you on target? Do you need to adjust your goals and your to do list to acknowledge your achiev
Knowing when to hold and when to fold
Often, the client would want a new campaign and we'd have to remind them their prospects hadn't seen the campaign nearly as much as we all had, and that it was best to let the campaign keep running.
How do you know what to do?
Just how do you know when it's time to let an ad campaign or marketing program keep on running and when it's time to try something new?
The answer is very simple.
Look at your results
It's time to make a change when the marketing is no longer producing results. And by results I mean, it's no longer moving you toward your objective.
Are you achieving your objective?
Every marketing activity should have a specific objective — that is what you hope to achieve. Your objective may be to generate a certain number of phone calls, or web site hits, or even sales.
Tracking your results will tell you
You'll want to track the results of your marketing activities from day one, so you'll know how well they are producing and you can monitor their trends.
For example, you may get consistent results for weeks, months or even years. In this case, my motto is "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" Don't be tempted to make a change just because you're tired of it. If it's working, leave it be.
Are your results on the decline?
However, if your tracking shows you are steadily getting fewer and fewer responses (e.g. phone calls, web site visits, sales) it's probably time to freshen up that marketing or start anew.
Or, maybe your results never really materialized
And, if your marketing program has never really generated the response you are looking for, even if it's relatively young, it's also time to take a good hard look at reworking it to make it more effective.
Just be careful not to give up too soon
You do need to give your marketing time to work — most people will not act after seeing your message just once, but rather need to be exposed to it repeatedly before taking action (industry standard is between three and seven times).
Having said that, if you've given your marketing ample time to produce results and nothing's happening, odds are you missed the mark and either the message or the medium is off.
Is your message missing the boat?
If your message is off, it means you are not effectively speaking to your prospects or hitting their "hot buttons." Do you really understand their problem or challenge? And does your marketing speak clearly to that issue and position your product or service as the best solution?
Or are you missing your audience?
If the medium is off, it means you have put your marketing message in a place where your prospects aren't likely to see it. It's important to und
Salary and Benefits NegotiationOne of the most difficult aspects of job searching for many people, especially those who are just starting out or who are making a mid-career change, is actually the salary and benefits negotiation aspect. This is true partly because some people are just naturally uncomfortable with negotiation in general and also because they may not feel knowledgeable enough about the job market to be able to effectively negotiate for better pay and benefits. In other cases, certain job seekers may not feel confident enough about their talents and skills in order to attempt salary and benefits negotiation.For the most part, employers expect th
Every marketing activity should have a specific objective — that is what you hope to achieve. Your objective may be to generate a certain number of phone calls, or web site hits, or even sales.
Tracking your results will tell you
You'll want to track the results of your marketing activities from day one, so you'll know how well they are producing and you can monitor their trends.
For example, you may get consistent results for weeks, months or even years. In this case, my motto is "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" Don't be tempted to make a change just because you're tired of it. If it's working, leave it be.
Are your results on the decline?
However, if your tracking shows you are steadily getting fewer and fewer responses (e.g. phone calls, web site visits, sales) it's probably time to freshen up that marketing or start anew.
Or, maybe your results never really materialized
And, if your marketing program has never really generated the response you are looking for, even if it's relatively young, it's also time to take a good hard look at reworking it to make it more effective.
Just be careful not to give up too soon
You do need to give your marketing time to work — most people will not act after seeing your message just once, but rather need to be exposed to it repeatedly before taking action (industry standard is between three and seven times).
Having said that, if you've given your marketing ample time to produce results and nothing's happening, odds are you missed the mark and either the message or the medium is off.
Is your message missing the boat?
If your message is off, it means you are not effectively speaking to your prospects or hitting their "hot buttons." Do you really understand their problem or challenge? And does your marketing speak clearly to that issue and position your product or service as the best solution?
Or are you missing your audience?
If the medium is off, it means you have put your marketing message in a place where your prospects aren't likely to see it. It's important to und
The last time Inflation was above 4% interest rates were 11%, Terry Waite had just been released and it was the 17th of November 1991. In business terms many lifetimes ago. Whether the Bank of England will raise interest rates to 11% to achieve Gordon Brown’s mandate I will leave to the Money markets to speculate. It is unlikely that interest rates and hence the cost of capital will return the “lowest rates in 30 years” within the next two years.Within the context of Business’ implementing projects how should they respond to the changing environment? Those industries with capital intensive projects; Construction, Supply Chain related (warehousing, logistics, stock m
Or, maybe your results never really materialized
And, if your marketing program has never really generated the response you are looking for, even if it's relatively young, it's also time to take a good hard look at reworking it to make it more effective.
Just be careful not to give up too soon
You do need to give your marketing time to work — most people will not act after seeing your message just once, but rather need to be exposed to it repeatedly before taking action (industry standard is between three and seven times).
Having said that, if you've given your marketing ample time to produce results and nothing's happening, odds are you missed the mark and either the message or the medium is off.
Is your message missing the boat?
If your message is off, it means you are not effectively speaking to your prospects or hitting their "hot buttons." Do you really understand their problem or challenge? And does your marketing speak clearly to that issue and position your product or service as the best solution?
Or are you missing your audience?
If the medium is off, it means you have put your marketing message in a place where your prospects aren't likely to see it. It's important to und
One of the best strategies for gaining an edge over your competition and increasing the value of your business to prospects and customers is to write a report. It is also one of the most cost effective ways to promote your business and your expertise.You can write reports on anything relating to your business that will be of benefit to your prospects and customers. For example, you could write a report on how to get the best use of your product, or how your product or service can increase productivity by 35%.Reports don’t have to twenty five pages, they can be as little as four to eight pages. Make it as long as it needs to be. To be effective your report nee
Having said that, if you've given your marketing ample time to produce results and nothing's happening, odds are you missed the mark and either the message or the medium is off.
Is your message missing the boat?
If your message is off, it means you are not effectively speaking to your prospects or hitting their "hot buttons." Do you really understand their problem or challenge? And does your marketing speak clearly to that issue and position your product or service as the best solution?
Or are you missing your audience?
If the medium is off, it means you have put your marketing message in a place where your prospects aren't likely to see it. It's important to understand your prospects and where and how you can best reach them so you can put your messages in those places.
After all, if they don't see your message, they can't respond.
What type of response rates can you expect?
For direct marketing efforts a response rate between 1% and 3% is considered good. On the web a 1% conversion rate is the norm, so if you're doing better than that consider yourself lucky.
You can expect a higher response rate from your current subscribers or clients because they already know and trust you. As far as new mailing list subscribers, expect between 5% and 15% of your web site visitors to join your mailing list.
The key is to make sure your marketing is reaching enough people so these response rates yield results you can be happy with.
If you've given it time and it's still not producing . . .
If you've given your marketing program time to work and nothing much is happening, or if your results are on the decline, it's time to kill that program. Or, at least, to give it a makeover.
Starting fresh can breathe new life into your business
Consider starting over with a fresh new approach, a new message, and some new mediums. Make sure your new marketing program is grounded in solid marketing strategy (The 10stepmarketing System is a simple way to be sure of this — and you don't need a marketing degree to figure it out!)
If your marketing program is not delivering the results you want, it may be time for a 10stepmarketing Extreme Marketing Makeover. I'll help you take your results from drab to fab in just six short weeks. But only a few lucky people will get the chance to get my help making over their marketing this year. If you'd like to be one of them, you can learn more here.
(C) Copyright 2005 Debbie LaChusa
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